Curated OER
Langston Hughes Was a Dreamer Too
Encourage your pupils to imagine their own dreams for the future. After studying three poems by Langston Hughes and listening to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s I Have a Dream speech, young poets craft their own dream stanza.
Film English
To This Day
Bring bullying out into the open with an involved lesson surrounding the animated version of Shane Koyczan's spoken word poem "To This Day." Class members discuss images related to bullying and watch the video without sound. They write a...
Laura Candler
Bio Poems Made Easy
A creative way bring autobiographical writing to your poetry unit or back-to-school curriculum, this lesson plan guides you through a bio poem activity. Kids use the graphic organizer to describe themselves using adjectives, things...
Soft Schools
Practice with Poetry
William Shakespeare's Sonnet 138 is the focus of a reading comprehension exercise that asks readers to answer to five questions using evidence drawn from the poem to support their response.
Curated OER
Poetry Beyond Words
Participate in writing poetry as a group. Focused on a given theme, young writers compose a popcorn poem using sensing verbs and adverbs. They write popcorn poems, onomatopoeias, collective poems, and diamond poems. You could introduce...
K12 Reader
Robert Burns’ Poetry: A Red, Red Rose
Regional dialect can make a lovely poem even more beautiful. After translating the Scots words in "A Red, Red Rose" into modern English, class members identify the two similes Robert Burns uses in his poem.
EngageNY
Revisiting Big Metaphors and Themes: Revising and Beginning to Perform Two-Voice Poems
Now that your class has read all of Esperanza Rising, take the time to tackle big metaphors and themes. Pupils will participate in an activity called Chalk Talk, in which they circulate around the room in small groups and add...
Student Handouts
Father's Day Acrostic
Fantastic? Friendly? Funny? What adjective will your youngsters choose for the first letter in father as part of this great Father's Day acrostic worksheet?
Curated OER
Earth Day Reading Comprehension
Here is a really neat Earth Day reading passage that can be used online or printed. The initial passage provides learners with the opportunity to read a poem entitled, "Woodman, Spare That Tree!" It also includes comprehension questions...
Penguin Books
The Discussion Guide to the Inaugural Poem: The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman
National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman's "The Hill We Climb," featured at the 2021 inauguration of President Joseph Biden, is the focus of a six-page guide. The guide includes before reading, during reading, and after reading...
Curated OER
Writing Out Loud: Poems for Two Voices
Helpful ways for poetry to reinforce your lesson - for any subject.
Poetry Society
A Conceit Poem
Young writers needn't be self-involved to craft a conceit. Directions for how to craft this form of extended metaphor, models, and a worksheet are all included in the packet.
K12 Reader
If
Rudyard Kipling's advice to his son in the poem "If" is a resounding message that echoes through generations. After reading the famous poem, middle schoolers work on analyzing specific lines, completing activities based on...
Curated OER
Poem in Your Pocket Day: Ideas for Celebrating
First instituted in New York City in 2002 and recognized nationwide in 2009, "Poem in Your Pocket Day" is part of National Poetry Month (April) and celebrates poetry in everyday life. A brief news story includes 9 ideas about how to...
Curated OER
Poetry Assignment Instead of a Test
"The Last Song" by Bernie Taupin and Elton John is the inspiration for an analysis assignment. Individuals read the song and answer nine questions about the speaker, figurative language, and significance of the lyrics. Use this as an...
Curated OER
John Donne's Poetry Worksheet
Concluding a study of metaphysical poetry? Challenge John Donne scholars with a worksheet that asks them to identify the subject of several of his poems, to interpret lines, to find examples of metaphysical conceits, and to analyze how...
Curated OER
Writing Poetry Like Pros
Students name classic and contemporary American poets. They explain one poetry idea in classic or contemporary poem. They explain poetry idea at work in their own poems.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Animating Poetry: Reading Poems about the Natural World
Learners complete poetry analysis activities. In this poetry analysis instructional activity, students consider the use of imagery and sound devices in poetry. Learners translate poetry into another art, read a diverse selection of...
Curated OER
Poetry Slams and Lesson Plans
Poetry slams can lead your students beyond a focus on rhyme and meter and into the emotional pull of poetry.
Curated OER
Poetry Analysis Lesson and Rubric
Analyzing poetry can be done using a variety of techniques that tap into student's prior knowledge.
Curated OER
Poetry Group Activity
In this Romeo and Juliet worksheet, students complete a group project by creating a poem on an assigned topic relating to themes found in Romeo and Juliet.
Curated OER
Patriotic Poems and Songs
Students memorize poems and songs to recite and sing at a Fourth of July concert. In this poems and songs lesson, students practice reciting 9 songs and poems while holding small flags.
Curated OER
Shelley's Poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley
In this online interactive reading comprehension worksheet, students respond to 15 multiple choice questions based on poetry by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Students may submit their answers to be scored.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Understanding the Context of Modernist Poetry
Learners examine the historical, social, and cultural context of modernist poetry. They explore websites, complete a chart, compare/contrast rural and urban life, watch a video of early New York, and complete a writing assessment...